Flight, January 1934

NEW BLACKBURN "SEGRAVE"

THE first machine of this type was built by Saunders-Roe, of Cowes, and was known as the Segrave "Meteor." Afterwards the Blackburn Company took over the construction, which was "translated" into all-metal. Lately the machine has appeared in yet another form, with a single-spar wing designed by Mr. F. Duncanson, who will be familiar to our readers from his articles in THE AIRCRAFT ENGINEER (Monthly Technical Supplement to FLIGHT), and who has now joined the Blackburn Company. Mr. Duncanson has produced a most ingenious wing, which looks extremely robust, having very few parts indeed, and which gives great promise for the future. It may be remembered that Mr. Duncanson has contributed articles on cantilever wings, and that he has had a good word to say for the single-spar wing. In the "Segrave" this has been realised by making the spar a circular-section tube of Duralumin. Internally this tube is supported by ring formers or diaphragms, while externally it is stiffened by corrugations at top and bottom. The metal ribs are very neatly and simply attached, and the whole wing structure looks remarkably simple and commonsense, and will appeal, apart from its good strength/weight ratio, on account of the simplicity of manufacture. One of the advantages of a solid-walled tubular spar of this type is that it can readily be made watertight, or rather petroltight, and in the "Segrave" a portion of the spar is used as a petrol tank, saving all the trouble and weight of separate tanks which have to be supported somehow. The Blackburn Company is to be congratulated on having realised the advantages of the Duncanson type of wing construction, and we look forward to some interesting developments at Brough. Our photographer was able on a recent visit to get the accompanying photographs of the "Segrave." Later we hope to publish a detailed description of the Duncanson single-spar wing, and to explain its main features.

DESIGNED by the late Sir Henry Segrave, and built by Saunders-Roe, this machine, of all-wood construction, is a twin-engined monoplane with high performance. First appearance in public. The engines are inverted "Gipsy III," faired into the wing.

THE HULL-GRIMSBY AIR FERRY: A snap of the Blackburn "Segrave" monoplane, operated by East Yorkshire Motor Services, Ltd., and North Sea, Aerial & General Transport, Ltd., on the Hull-Grimsby air ferry, flying over Hull Docks.

A "NEW NOTE" IN BRITISH AIRCRAFT DESIGN: The "Meteor," just completed at the Cowes works of Saunders-Roe, owes its inception to Sir Henry Segrave. It is a four-seater monoplane fitted with two "Gipsy III" engines. The first machine is of all-wood construction, but subsequent ones will have metal fuselages. Clean aerodynamic design has been one of the objects, as well as a high performance.